Look
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1 Good morning, friends. I am very happy to be here in Phoenix again this morning enjoying this fine time of fellowship. Wish I could just sit in a long time listening to these pretty songs, and to see young Jimmy really get into that song. There is nothing put on about that boy, is there?
Brother Outlaw was telling me this morning that this is his precious mother sitting over here by the door, of eighty-one years old. God bless you, sister. I guess many years ago when you rocked that little baby in your arms and them little hands struck across your cheeks, you didn't think you'd be sitting here eighty years old listening at him in his church, maybe, at that time. You believed it then? That's very fine, very fine. So happy. God gave you ... well, can't say many years because you're ... you are inwardly an eternal being, you see. So, you never did begin, so you can't end---so you just have eternal life. That's very good.
2 Brother Dyson I haven't had the privilege of meeting him yet, but he is going to continue this service on through next week, beginning tonight, here at the church. And I'm ... I sure hope that there is a great success here in this revival. I only wish I could sit back here somewhere and just soak in the good things of God as our brother preaches. I hear he's a missionary's son from Jerusalem. And so I'm sure you are going to enjoy this ministry this week of our brother. If it's all possible, attend, hear him, back him up. And those who cannot come, and you're away from home, out-of-town, can't get back, do as I'm going to do---pray for him, and pray for the success of the service.
3 I remember the first time in Phoenix. It was this church, only it was in a different place. It was the church, but a different roof that we worshipped under, and the great fellowship that we had with Brother Outlaw. I have a record that was made during that meeting and it's always... When I kind of get feeling a little down I go play this record, and it's about scratched out. Perhaps, maybe, the man that made it is here this morning---little red flexible record. And then, of course, I have many of the late records of this young choir here, which was little babies then, singing. We get much out of it.
When we heard these fine songs, I said to Brother Outlaw, "I am glad they're being taped because I like to study that. I like to hear those songs and play the tape, hear the songs when you can sit down. There's nothing like music."
4 You know God heals by music. Did you know that? God heals by music. God heals by love, see. God heals by medicine. God heals by prayer. God has many ways of healing. It depends on what type that you need. Sometimes a little love stretched out will just cure an old sore, an old place that's been a grudge or something. It'll heal it right over---just a little love, a little care. Sometimes when you feel all down and, as we call it (a street expression), down in the dumps, see, just put on one of those tapes, that music or record, and go to playing it. The first thing you know you're patting your foot, or your hand, and it's all over then. You're right up and ready to go again.
5 Now these six-hour messages, that's not the evangelistic type; that's when I'm home and just kind of... Everybody knows how to take me there---just kind of long-winded. And a lot of people can say more in five minutes, you see, than I can say in those six hours. So, it depends on what you're saying.
Now, I believe this morning I've got a little note here that some sister here that wants her little baby dedicated to the Lord. And I said to Brother Outlaw, "You don't baptize infants?"
He said, "No." No, he just dedicates them, like the Scripture says to dedicate them.
6 So I think at this time, if this sister that's got this little one to bring up, will bring it up... And we believe in this being a doctrine of the Bible. And trying to follow the Scripture and the pattern that the Lord Jesus left us just as close as we know how, is to follow through the way He did it. And we don't find any place in the Bible where He baptized them, or even commissioned them to be baptized. He just said, "They brought little children unto him that he might bless them." And He laid his hands upon them and said, "Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God."
So if the organist, or pianist, will give us just some of that lovely music, kind of slowly, "Bring them in, bring them in, bring them in from the fields of sin." I believe you are acquainted with it.
Matthew 19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
7 What's the little fellow's name? [Woman says, "It's a little girl. It's Rebekah."] Rebekah. Last name? Hammer, Brother and Sister Hammer. God bless you. This your only one? [Woman says, "Fourth girl."] Fourth girl. You ought to be an evangelist. Philip had four daughters, you know, and they were all prophetesses. You may not be, but I trust that God will give you four prophetesses out of these daughters anyway, Brother Hammer. Very sweet. She's yawning now. You should see it.
I like them but I'm always afraid when I pick them up to dedicate them, I'm always afraid I'll break them. You know, they are kind of ... I feel real funny picking them up. And my wife always said, "You can't break them." So, but they look so sweet, they look like you just have to handle them. So I am going to try to hold it, if it's all right.
Now this is a job my wife would like. Isn't that a little doll? Little Rebekah Hammer. How are you? That's good. We are grateful for this, how God has give to this union this lovely child. It has to come only from God. No one can give life but God. Let us bow our heads now.
8 Our heavenly Father, we bring to You this morning this little lump of love that's been placed in this home by your great hand. How the mother these months has packed it beneath her heart, longing to see what it would look like when it arrived. And here it is this morning, this sweet lovely little girl, and she gives it a Bible name. And now comes to the altar of God, she and her husband, to dedicate it, to give it back to the God that gave it to them. Bless their home, Father, we pray. Bless their family, bless this little Rebekah.
In the Bible we find that the people brought little babies to You that You might lay your hands upon them and bless them. If You were only here in a visible body this morning, why, this parent would bring this little Rebekah to You. We realize Lord, that our hands are very poor substitutes for this great mission, but You have charged us to do so. Therefore, Lord, I give to You little Rebekah in the name of Jesus Christ in a dedication. May You take her little life and use it, Lord, for your glory. And we'll praise Thee for it. In Jesus' name, amen.
Matthew 19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
Luke 18:15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
9 God bless you. May the Lord grant that the little baby will live to be a fine woman and a great servant of Christ for tomorrow, if there is a tomorrow. God bless both of you.
Oh, them little fellows. If that innocence ... I've often thought of how innocent a child is. And yet, if we could only be as innocent as one of those children... But come to find out, we are more innocent, when the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
10 Now let's turn in the Scriptures. To you who like to read the Scripture, let's turn to the book of Hebrews, the 9th chapter, for some words. Let's begin with the 24th verse of the 9th chapter:
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Nor yet that he should offer himself oft, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with the blood of others;
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him ... to appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Word. Let us bow our heads now for prayer.
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Hebrews 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
11 Almighty God, who is the beginning of all things, who made the worlds by Jesus Christ, we come in thy presence in this building this morning as a gathering of thy people, to first offer ourselves to You for service, to give thanks for what we have already received of thy hand, praying that You will bless the reading of this Word. May the Holy Spirit continue to make the Word real to us as we look to the author of the Word, for we ask it in his name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
12 Now we are going to try this morning to take just four letters in a word, "Look," for a subject, and to deal with it a little while as the Lord will lead us to do. I have a few notes written here and some scripture that we might refer to as we go along. Look, l-o-o-k, look. The word, really, when... It's used oft, "but, look..." When you hear the word it's usually somebody trying to get you to see what they are looking at. They say to you, "Look."
Like going down the road you ... someone might see a certain scene. And they say, "Look!", and then express what it is. It's at the mountain, at the cactus, or whatever they are looking at. But the first thing to get your attention is, "Look!"
13 Now, everybody is looking today. Everybody is looking for something, and looking for something to happen. We know that the world is constantly watching the skies, the radar and the screens that we have up around the world. Every nation for its own defense has got a magic eye, like, looking to find something to appear into this screen like an atomic missile or something. Then they've got something there to go back to the one that sent it this a-way.
14 Everything is looking.
The Ford Company is looking to make a better Ford. The Chevrolet is looking to make a better Chevrolet. Phoenix is looking to make a larger and better town. The nation is looking for more territory so it can spread itself. The church, just church, is looking for more members. But the bride is looking for the coming of her Lord. We're all looking.
It depends on what the voice is trying to tell you to look for. Some of us are saying, "Look for this." And if it's a church, we're saying we want so many more this year, members. That's all right.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
15 But the voice that I'm trying to say to you this morning is like the writer of this epistle, we believe to be Paul, which is saying, "...looking for the coming of Jesus Christ the second time,"---looking for Him.
In order to do it, you've got to see something before you can tell somebody else to look at what you are seeing. Noah had an experience of this. And he ... by faith he saw the coming of a flood: a great rain that was going to cover the earth and take all the ... wash off the earth---the rededication again to God---the filth of the world that the people had got in, that conglomeration that they were in in that day. And it had to all be washed off to start again.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
16 Just finished a series of services on the last seven seals, and finding that in this sixth seal that there is a great interruption in nature. The moon, the stars, the earth belches forth. The church is purged, Israel is purged, and everything is purged under that seventh seal so that the millennium can start in. There has to be a cleansing first.
And that's what the church today ... and what I want to point to you---that we need a cleansing. Before anything can begin from God we've got to have a purging. And when we look and see things that is now, under the present conditions existing the way they are, we can see that we got to have something to happen before God can continue his program---and a purging. Many of us, I say, might look back to...
Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
17 I have a tape for a... Well, it's a movie, film, that was filmed in Jerusalem where we were asking the Jews, when they were returning back from Iran and many places a few years ago, about five years ago---packing their loved ones on their back and bringing them off the ships and out of airplanes, and so forth, coming back ---asked them the question, "Are you returning to the homeland to die?"
They said, "We are coming to see the Messiah."
When you see Israel, that tree putting forth its buds, it's a great ensign. The time is at hand, when Israel becomes a nation. And she's a nation today. We see things happening that to the world ... it's just as blind to them as it was in the days of Noah. But to we who look for Christ the second time, it's a ensign that He's soon coming. We see something fixing to happen. And it depends on what you're looking at.
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
Luke 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luke 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
18 Now, Noah knew by the word of God that there was coming a flood. By faith he saw it. He knew that it was going to be, because God's word promised it. Now, Noah himself, by faith, saw what God's word said. But the world could not see it because it could not be scientifically proven that there were water up in the sky. But Noah knew it was there, because God said so.
That's ... the church, the bride, the called out today, knows that the coming of the Lord is at hand---regardless of how much we've been able to go in progress, and so forth, and succeed in splitting an atom, and sending a radar message to the moon. That means nothing to the believer---only a sign that the coming of the Lord is at hand. We see nations breaking, and the nations coming a ... falling apart, and the world coming apart, and the church move coming apart. Then we are taught that we receive a kingdom which cannot be moved. But as these things begin to happen the church binds itself together tighter and tighter with the ... by the Word of God.
It's a great day that we are living in. And we are...
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
19 Everybody's looking for something. You might be looking this day to the time you get home to eat your dinner. There might be a picnic this afternoon that you are taking your family to. There might be something another next week that you're looking for, a neighbor to come, or some friend. But everybody is looking for something.
20 And as a group of believers today, assembled together, we want to fix our thoughts, our principles and things, upon the coming of the Lord, looking for Christ, who shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation, to those that believe and are looking for Him to come.
God here, by the writer, is inviting us to view this and to look at it. The writer says here that, "We look for Christ the second time, to see him as he is." And now we know that the Word is Christ. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And Hebrews 13:8 said, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Therefore it's the Word that we look to then, for it is the expression of what God is. And when God came in Christ He was the expression of what God was. And whatever He was He ever remains, because He's eternal and cannot change. What a hope it gives us that God has not left us without a true witness in the days of confusion that we live in today. Yet we are certainly a privileged people if we'll just look to the true witness we have, the Word, see, because that's God's full revelation of Jesus Christ. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it, because it is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
God has never left his people without a true witness. God's going to judge the world by Jesus Christ. And if Jesus Christ is the Word, then God judges the church, or the world, by the Word, for He is the Word. There's a judgment coming. The sinner knows it.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
21 Many people, when you speak of church they have a funny idea. The world, when they pass by the church (I mean the body of Christ gathered together), they think of our women with some great, long, stringy hair, with black dresses and everything. And they think of the men with long fingers, dressed in black clothes and always condemning them. To a good sense of the word, that's true, because the church is a peculiar people, a called-out people.
And the reason it looks that way to that man who wants to judge the church in that condition, is because the church is always pointing a condemning finger to everything that he thinks is good. And if he's a sinner, he thinks sin is good, the pleasures of life, such as living in the world. And when the church stands up and condemns that thing, it looks like a hideous animal to him. But if he only knows, it's God's only way of bringing to salvation (that's right), expressing the Word of God by the lips of his servants.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
22 Now God could have chose to preach the gospel by the sun, by the moon, by the stars, by the wind, or by nature. But He chose man to preach the gospel. And that's where the voice of God will come from. And you can judge the voice according to the Word it expresses. Then you can see what kind of a voice that you're listening to. If it's contrary to the Word, don't listen to it. But if it is the Word, then God's duty bound to back that Word up and vindicate it and make it truth, because He promised to do it.
So we are living in a great day, these words of Christ expressed.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
23 When He came into the world He was the Word Himself. He didn't have to write no books. He never wrote a book. Why? He was the Word. He didn't have to write about anything because He was what the others had wrote about. He was the Word, therefore He didn't write anything with his own hand. He was the Word itself. And He's the same yesterday, today and forever, so He still remains the Word.
He said to the Jews one day, He said, "Who can accuse me of sin?" Now sin is unbelief. "Who can point their finger to me and say that I haven't fulfilled every word that was written of me?"
John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
24 Would not it be a glorious thing this morning, my brethren and sisters, if the church of the living God could stand and say, "Who can accuse me of sin?" Every gift that God promised in the Bible and everything He promised would be done, it's operating right among us today. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Who can ... then we ... the denominational thoughts would move plumb out of existence when we can see God speaking for Himself.
So many people are looking for different... No one wants to die. No one wants to be lost. Everyone wants to be in the presence of God. I do, you do, everybody does. But we're not willing to come the way that God has provided for us to come. See, that's what makes it so much different.
John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
25 My boy, Billy, the other day give me a camera. And he showed me an object. He said, "Daddy, take that picture out there." Well, it's a little 35mm. Petra. And I took up the little camera and looked at the object. There was about three of them objects standing out there---a Saguaro cactus. I could see one stalk, two stalks, three stalks. And I took it down again and looked---there was only one stalk. I put it back again, looked like there was three stalks.
Well, that's just the way sometimes we get out of focus. Got a range finder. And we try to put something of God way back somewhere else, and something or other. Maybe we haven't used our range finder. Let the Holy Spirit get our ideas away from ourself and our church theology. Let the range finder come in and connect us. You'll not see three or four; you'll see one object of God, see.
26 Looking through the same camera a man can see something, but his own intelligence tells him, "There is only one stalk out there," see. But that's the way the Holy Spirit does. If we'll just let it have its way, it'll take the Word itself and bring it into focus to where we'll see what we are looking at then. And then you'll find out, maybe, if people that are trying to show you something are not so wrong after all, you see, if you'll just let the range finder start. The Word itself begins to show the Word in manifestation. Amen. It'll do it if you'll just let it, see. But you've got to use the range finder to get your... If it hit the zero mark once, it will hit it again.
27 I love to shoot, and the targets ... and here not long ago I was squirrel hunting down in Kentucky and there was... I had a little model .75 rifle. It sounds ... I hope it don't sound sacrilegious to you to say this in a sermon, but I will tell you. I am trying to make a point. And this little rifle, I trained it in. And I've dealt and fooled with guns since a little kid. I love them. And I had this little model .75 till I could just every time hit a squirrel's eye at fifty yards with it. And I had a paper from the range down there, signed up, driving nine bullets through the same hole at fifty yards on a rainy, windy day. And I got it signed up and notarized. And that was the Lord helping me, of course, to do that. That's unusual.
28 And I started to shoot the squirrel and I find out I hit him somewhere else besides in the eye and I got nervous. I tried again on paper and it wouldn't hit the target. It would hit within, oh, a quarter of an inch, or a half-inch, or something at fifty yards. But I knowed it would do better than that. I done everything to the gun that I knowed how to do and nothing seemed to fix it up right.
29 So I wrapped it up in the box and sent it back to Winchester Company for examination, for rebedding. They wrote me a nice letter, and I have my file at home. And it said ... said, "Reverend Branham," said, "that rifle was group a inch at twenty-five yards." Said, "It's just a model .75." Said, "It's not a target gun. It's just a little plinker." And said, "You'll never get any better than that."
Now that was the Winchester Company that made the gun. Said a inch at twenty-five yards, and I drove nine straight holes at fifty yards. Now here's my thought. My wife said, "Now look, Bill," she said, "if that company who made the rifle will just say that, and it won't do no better than that, then who are you to say..."
I said, "Honey, here's what it is. I don't care what the company says, I've seen it do it. And I know it'll do it."
30 And I sat down there when the other brethren was shooting at squirrels. Anywhere they wanted to hit them was all right, mid-center, back, or anywhere. And I sat under a tree and was crying, and I said, "God, I am so nervous I can't hold myself together. Why did You make me a little nervous fellow like this?" And just ... I realize where I am standing here, with the Bible before me.
And a voice just as plain as you would hear mine, said, "You were made thus for a purpose."
Because until ... you know that that rifle is going to zero once because... If it zeroed once, rather, it will zero again. It's the same rifle.
31 Therefore I see it, see. If obeying this Word, taking this range finder and bring it down to a place till I can see the same things those apostles saw, the same gospel they preached, it will produce the same results. Because it did for them, it will strike the target every time.
No matter what the churches says and the people who claims to be, I know it will do it, because... And there is what I want to look at: that Word to see that it's exactly in focus, to see the same vision they saw. And it'll do the same job that it did for them. It'll heal the sick, it'll raise the dead, it'll cast out devils. It'll bring forth a glorious church who's willing to seal their testimony with their own blood, if it comes necessary to do that---because it depends on what you are looking at.
32 Now if I had looked to what the Winchester Company said, which is supposed to be the one that made the gun, then I'd have listened to them. But I knowed different. Now if I look to the church, and they say, "Oh, them days is gone and there's no such a thing as that, and..." See where you would be? You'd be plumb off the target, see.
But if He was ever God, He's still God. He always was God, and He can't be nothing else but God, and He's God eternal. Therefore we want to look to that target. Not what target the church is shooting at, but what target that Christ is shooting at. We look for Christ to appear, the same Jesus. He said when He was on earth, "A little while and the world seeth me no more. Yet ye shall see me: for I'll be with you to the end of the world." That same one who could direct the Word, and be the Word, and direct it right straight on to the target, that same Lord Jesus is here this morning in the form of the Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts, and focus down his Word to one true and living God, to one purpose, to one achievement. And if we'll just let Him do it, He'll focus the Word right into a place that will prove that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Depends on what you want to look at.
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
33 We must focus our lives. Not what somebody else says, but focus our lives to Him---and He is the Word, see. If we get our lives lined with the Word, then the Word and our life becomes the same. He said, "If ye abide in me, and my word in you, then ask what you will, it will be granted to you." "Verily I say unto you, If you say to this mountain, be moved and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that what you have said will come to pass; you can have what you have said."
Oh, my, not what I said; what you said. You can have, because you and He become the same, because the mind that was in Christ is in you. And the mind that was in Christ was to fulfill the Father's Word, which He was the Word. There you are then. You and the Word are focused in together. You become a living unit of God. How great!
Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
34 There was a time when man's sins... When man sinned before God he crossed a great chasm. As a writer said here, that He appeared in the last days for salvation to those that look for it.
Now, this great chasm man crossed left hisself no way back. He could not get back again because he's crossed that separation between him and God. God being full of grace and mercy took a substitute, and it was a lamb, or an animal was offered---a substitutionary death. "But the blood of bulls and goats," as Hebrews here said, just previous to where I read, "cannot take away sin." It only covered sin. It was a propitiation, truly. But it just covered sin, for it was speaking with a good conscience looking forward to when the blood would come that would cleanse sin, divorce it, put it away forever.
Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
35 Now, when Jesus came He wasn't just a man. He wasn't just the third person of the trinity. He was God! He was God Himself! He was Emmanuel! And we are taught in the Bible that we are saved by the blood of God. When God Himself became one of us He changed his ... what He was. He changed his tent. He came down, condescending from glory and became man. Therefore born without sex He created Himself a body, that He lived in Himself---Emmanuel, God represented with us, the Word made flesh among us---and lived with us to redeem many sons back to God through the shedding of this blood.
The body, sure, was Christ. It was the anointed one. And if Christ means the anointed one, and He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He is the Word, then the Word is the anointing. "If ye abide in me, and my Word in you, then say what you will." It's the Word of God, the anointed Word. That's what does it.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
36 Now, there was a time, as I have remarked, that a woman when she got a stain on a white piece of goods, she ... there was no way of getting it off. I remember when my mother used to put black coffee on grease to try to take a stain off of something. And I remember a time she used to take the old turpentine bottle and try to wash out the stain---coal oil and so forth, to remove the stain from a garment. Well, it just wouldn't move it good. There was still a trace of it. That in symbol I'd like to take as the blood of goats and sheep and so forth.
37 But now they have manufactured a stuff called bleach. And that bleach, Clorox or whatever it is, it's a bleach that's been manufactured. And what, this morning, if I had a tub full of that bleach sitting here and a little eye dropper with black ink in it? Let's study it a minute. What is that black ink? Much of it is water. But the color? Where did the color come from? The color had to start ... we know it's a creation. So if it started with a creation, it had to come from a creator before it can be a creation.
38 I don't know what these words mean. I couldn't break it down. But you excuse the words that I'm going to use, but to make a point. Well, let's say, when it drops ... this drop of ink... Now, it was for a purpose. That color become that color for a purpose. That one drop of ink can sign your death warrant; can send you to the electric chair. Or that one drop of ink can pardon you from your sins. It was sent here for a purpose. We got to use it for the right thing.
But for instance, it's finished. And we drop that one drop of ink into a tub full of bleach. What happens to it? You don't see nothing happen, but there's no more color. The color breaks up. You don't know where it went. Well, it turned back to acids. 'Course, the water is a formula, H2O. It goes back to water, or back to the water. It's in the bleach. But the chemical in this bleach broke that so completely till you can't find a stain of it no more. It's gone. It broke into ... say it went back to acids. What do the acids come from? It goes on back, say come from atoms, or molecules. What molecules? Molecules from atoms, atoms to electrons, so forth and so on, as you go on.
Let's think of it. When it began back there, we say it come from atoms, or from molecules. Say molecule 41 times molecule 69 make molecule H. What if it had been 68 instead of 69? It come out pink instead of black. Something had to determine it. What if it was atoms times 4 x 6 x 11, it ought to have been ... it come out 6 instead of 11, it would have been brown, see. It had to come from somewhere who designed it.
39 Look out the window at that palm tree. What is it? It's volcanic ash with a life in it. Look across the street from it and you see a eucalyptus. What is it? Volcanic ash with life in it, a different kind. Look, you see a rose. What is it? Volcanic ash with life in it. Where did the color come from? Just think of that. Who colored that flower? There's two flowers of the same species, one's yellow and the other one's red. Both of them come from a little seed. And where did the coloring come from? Part of it's green, part white, part red, part yellow, where did the coloring come from? Same sun shined on the same place. Something has to determine it. It's a natural substance so it had to have a creation somewhere.
Now look, then what does it do? It goes plumb back to the beginning to a creator.
Exodus 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Exodus 8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
Exodus 8:22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
Exodus 8:23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
Exodus 8:24 And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.
40 Then, if sin put a stain on a human being, and Moses, by offering a sheep, could take the voice of God ("I'll put my words in your mouth"), and he walked out there with the Word of God and said, "Let there be flies," and there wasn't a fly nowhere... In less than five minutes, maybe, an old green fly began to buzz around. In another ten minutes there was maybe two pound per square yard. What was it? The Word of God in the mouth of his prophet. The Word of God is creative. But it has got to come from the right resource.
41 And then if God could take that man, and bridge a way across there by the blood of sheeps and goats, and could make the Word of God creative by the mouth of a man; how much more, not only but ... the creative ... the power of the sacrifice of a bull or a goat, but the blood of Jesus Christ; that when sin is confessed and drops into that bleach of God, the own ... God's own creative way of taking away the stain so far that it's put in the sea of forgetfulness to be remembered no more... When a man confesses his sins and gets right with God, and God drops the sin of this confession, into the blood of his own blood and forgives that sin; and replaces in that man the original Spirit that should've been there, his own Spirit, making him a son of God; how much more ought the creative power of God to be in the church, see. It breaks down every wall of sin, it breaks down...
See,
42 people today try to say, "Those words was back for another age." It is if you're still out from under that blood. But if you are under that blood the power of God by his Word remains the same! It's got to be the same. If He could do that by the blood of sheep and animals, what about the blood of Jesus Christ?
I could do it. We must cope our lives and focus it in to the Word of God. Just like that we would a picture camera, try to get the right focus before we snap it---and then we got the real true picture. That's what we want to do, to focus our lives into Jesus Christ, that Christ and you become the same person. You are a son adopted to God by the blood of the righteous Jesus Christ.
43 Then the church would be moving on without friction, without hurt, without harm, without doubts, without scruples, without friction. It would be moving in the power of the Word of God manifesting every divine blessing that God promised to it, if it'd just do that. We must do our lives, and then see Him and see Him only. Not some bishop, some great man, or something we take pattern by; but we look to Jesus Christ. Not some organization, not some pope, or some archbishop of Canterbury, or some other divine man that we call on earth, but we must look to Jesus Christ. He is the Word, and the onl...
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
44 Abraham, when he was asked to sojourn in a strange land and look for the promise, he never doubted the promise. The Christian looks at the unseen. Remember, you are endowed with five senses. One of them is sight. But I'll prove to you your sight don't see everything. Here, this morning, right in this room right now, there's living representations of creatures in this room. There's living voices in this room. If you do not, then go turn on the television and see if there isn't people plumb across the nation that's being represented right here in this room this morning. Their figures and their beings is passing through this room. Is that true? Why? Only way you'll ever know it, is a transmitter to pick it up and transmit it into reality.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
45 And the only way that the church will ever know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is get into that transmitter---the blood---that transmits our sins away from us and brings us across that chasm into the presence of God, being sons of God which He represents Himself in. Oh, what a great thing! If we'd look to that this morning we'd forget the differences of the things that's in the world today, and the things that other people are looking for, and the great numbers and so forth. We're looking to Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
46 Now remember, the whole Christian armor is supernatural. If you are a Christian... You say, "Seeing is believing." You can never be a Christian if you believe that, "for faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." You cannot be a Christian and have to see the thing. The whole armor of God is supernatural. Love, joy, peace, faith, longsuffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness and the Holy Ghost. It's all unseen. And the Christian doesn't look to what he sees with his eyes, he looks to what he sees with his faith.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
47 And his faith can only be based upon one thing. That's the Word! Amen. Now I feel like a shouting Baptist, yes sir, see.
When you get to that Word, that's the living thing. That's the Word! When your mind and eyes can be singled to that Word, and focus that in till you see exactly what God's doing! What a wonderful thing! Abraham saw it, see. He did not look to any of the misunderstandings of the promise. What if he would've looked and said, "Here I'm seventy-five years old, and such-and-such a voice spoke to me and said I am to have a baby by my wife. She's sixty-five years old, about fifteen, twenty, years past menopause." What would he have done?
But what did he do? He never paid any attention to what the natural things was. He looked at what God said. It become such a reality to him till he didn't see nothing else but what God said. He left his home. He separated himself from all unbelief, anything that would try to pull him away. He separated himself so he could walk alone.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Genesis 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
48 That's what every genuine believer has to do. Separate yourself from these doubters and unbelievers and walk with Christ. It's life to you. And Abraham did such a thing. And twenty-five years later we find him still believing the same promise. Why? He had focused his mind to the will of God, by the Word of God, and believed it. If we can focus ourselves to the plan of God, to what God wants for us and what God promised us, and let everything else alone... No matter how long it is, just keep believing. Romans 4. Here we find Romans 4:14. It said, "And he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief." He didn't let unbelief contaminate him at all. He looked to one thing. That was the voice that spoke to him.
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
49 That's what the church ought to do today. Look to the one thing, the voice, the Word of God that speaks to us. Churches and peoples can speak any way, but look to the voice. What are we looking at? He looked to the voice that spoke to him. He called everything contrary to that voice as though it wasn't. And yet materially, it was as far out of focus with the world as Noah's time was. It was just as far out of focus.
Because why? Noah's time they couldn't prove there was rain up there. But Noah knew that if God said so He was able to put rain up there. Abraham knew that his body was as good as dead. But he considered not his own body. He considered not the deadness of Sarah's womb. A young girl (he had married his half-sister), lived with her all these years. And now she is ninety years old, and he's a hundred years old. But he didn't even think about that. That didn't even come in his mind. Why? He had focused all the unbelief out. Oh, glory!
Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
50 That's what the church should do. That's what each member of the church should do. But focus out of you all doubt. Look only to that Word. It promised it. God said so! It's got to be that way. The Bible said, "Against hope, he believed in hope. And he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong, giving praise to God." Each day he got stronger because the miracle would be greater.
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
51 Sometimes we can't wait from one night to the other. Sometimes we can't wait from one revival to the other. We have to go out and entangle with the things of the world. How we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. Before we come here to confess and get into that blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin, we should focus ourself down to see that one true living God standing there who made the promise that heavens and earth will pass away, but his Word cannot fail. Stay right there upon that. Then you are not tossed about with winds of doctrine, carried about from place to place, from pillar to post.
But you know where you stand because you've been zeroed in with God. You see your own life hitting that target just like those apostles did. You live the way they did. You were baptized the way they were. You see the same results that they seen. You see it operating in you. You're zeroed! I don't care what the company says and what the denominations say. You're zeroed, because you know that you're hitting the target. Amen!
Then you know where you're standing. Depends on what you are looking at. If you are looking to somebody else, you'll go any way. Any little puff of wind will blow you off the target. But, oh, you can't be blown off the target when you're zeroed in. And so there's nothing going to stop it. God carries it to its...
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
52 Just like David's little rock in the sling. It went straight to its destination. So your prayers go straight to its destination, because it's offered in the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses you. There's not a sin or a spot on you nowhere. That's right, there can't be! As long as that Clorox is between me and God, how's He going to see my sin? How can He do it? If I make a sin it's not willfully. "He that sins willfully after he receives the knowledge of the truth..." But you've no willful sin; yet you do sin. But you don't do it willfully, because in your heart you don't mean to do those things. But when you do it willfully it's different. Then I think you wasn't there at the first place.
Now, the thing of it is, it's come to a place where that all the stain of sin is washed away. Then you stand redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. You are a Adam, like he was before he fell. You are a son of God, washed in the blood of God's own blood!
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
53 It was blood that brings forth a child. It was only blood alone. The blood comes from the male sex. The male blood comes from the man. The woman, she produces the egg, the filler, but the man is the hemoglobin. It's there comes the germ. And in the germ is where ... is where the life lays. And the life comes not by confession in some church, or some creed, or some document; but the life comes when you're ... been borned again by the blood of Jesus Christ. The germ ... "The works that I do shall you do also." "He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."
There's that life of God. As a son of God, born by the blood of God, and you're... The same Holy Spirit that wrote this Bible will focus it right back into you again. There's not a denomination or a creed that can do that. Only God Himself can take a hold of the camera of your eyes and let you see what God is, and what his purpose is. Yes sir, certainly.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
54 Now we find out Moses... We find out later on, he built ... he saw Israel. Moses, a great prophet, he looked out the windows. He was raised in Pharaoh's courts. And he looked out the window and he saw a bunch of mud daubers. It was nothing but half-dressed people with lashes of whips upon their back, no way at all to ever be delivered. But Moses knew the Word of God. And he looked upon them as a promised people. He looked upon them as a people that had a promise. No matter how much the world that day looked down upon them as a bunch of mud daubers, or slaves, he looked upon them as a people having a promise.
55 Pharaoh looked upon them out of the same window, but he seen slaves. Moses seen the victory. Why? He had focused himself. Though being a prince, though heir to the throne of Egypt, he focused himself away from the lusts of the world. He focused himself away from the beauty and power that he had within his own potentials to receive. He focused that out until he seen a blessed people yonder by the promise of God. He focused in because he knowed that God promised Abraham that He would visit his people. And he knew that he was raised up for that purpose. He focused it all out.
56 Pharaoh did not have this potential. He was offered it, but refused it. And when he refused it then he couldn't focus. No man, after he's turned down the Word of God, can ever focus hisself into it, because you refused the Word that brings you into relationship with Christ. That's right. So...
But Moses looked out of this window. He believed it. Why? Moses looked by faith. That's how Moses looked. Now listen real close to this remark. Faith ... now don't forget to get this now. Faith is designed to see what God wills and wants. There is no knowledge that can do that. Faith alone is designed and give to the human race to find out what the will of God is. And you take your faith that you've got and it don't focus with the Word, then leave it alone---you got the wrong faith. But when your God-given faith focuses you with the Word of God, you're directly in line and zeroed. Oh, my! God help us this hour, great hour that we live in. Faith, designed to see what God wants. How do you see it? Through the camera of his Word---his promise. This is a full revelation of Jesus Christ.
57 Then when the faith that's in you focuses you to this Word you're focused away from all denominations and creeds and everything. You are focused right straight on the Word of God. You are zeroed in. The only thing it needs is a little touch off. Amen! And that prayer flies straight in the presence of God because there's nothing to stop it. Yes, that's what does it. When you are zeroed in with God, focused in, by then you're looking at the target.
You're not looking at what somebody else says. "This can't happen. And this can't happen." You're looking to what you know did happen. Look on your target. You see where they hit it! If they hit it in that day, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Focus out all these creeds and things you got mixed up. Get right back to the Word. Then confess your unbelief and let God take his Holy Spirit and direct your sights right straight on Jesus Christ. We're looking to Him then. Not what somebody else says,
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
58 not even what the doctor says, as good as it might be. He's got his place.
The church, as good as ... it's got its place. We don't deny that. But it's got ... all got its place. It will fire, but it won't hit the target. Only them who look for Christ the second time, that's the zero. It depends on what you're looking at. Yes.
Now, today. You see, faith is designed to do this. Same faith today sees the same thing. A faith of the church today should see the same program of God. I want you to ... don't miss this now. The church today that's called of God, will certainly see the program of God, because the program of God is written out here, the blueprint. And the Holy Spirit, by faith, is the one who reads it and sets it together.
59 Then how could a man say he's filled with the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Spirit say a certain way to do something in the Bible, and this man comes around and says, "Oh, well, that's fanaticism." Could the Holy Spirit be ... the real Holy Spirit deny its own Word? No, it has to stay with the Word because it's God! See? What are you looking at? What are you seeing? We must see Jesus. And the only way we can see Jesus, see the Word. This is the natural symbol of the Spirit. Do you know what I mean? It is the letter that the Spirit quickens, see. That is the letter, and the spirit quickens this letter and makes it a reality.
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
60 Then Moses looked by faith. And the man today who sees God's program does the same thing, looks by faith.
Moses later seen this great thing. When the people got in trouble, what did he do? He made a serpent out of brass, put it upon a pole. And said when they were bitten by serpents, because of their unbelief, that whosoever looked upon this serpent lived. Notice. The man who just come and looked at it ... the stick ... the pole it was on was a piece of a tree that was cut down there in the wilderness---probably a piece of mesquite or something that you'd have here, ironwood, or whatever it might be. It had done been separated from its natural growth. It was dead within itself. The brass was probably a piece of helmets from the Romans, or something that'd they took in the salvage. And it was molded and put together, and made a serpent.
Numbers 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
61 If men come out there just as an idol to look upon that serpent, they received nothing. But when the true believer come out there and looked upon that serpent with the spiritual revealed truth... That serpent itself, being it was in the form of a serpent, it represented sin already judged. They seen sin, their unbelief, already under judgment from the serpent from the garden of Eden. And the serpent was made out of brass, which means divine judgment, see. The altar was made out of brass, brazen altar, which the sacrifice was offered upon. Brass, divine judgment.
Exodus 39:39 The brazen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
62 The great prophet Elijah, when he looked up to the skies in the days of his ministry, the three-and-a-half years, and there was no water at all, he said, "The skies looked like brass." What was it? Divine judgment upon a disbelieving nation of the message of God, that their faith was so dim could not see it in that day. I wonder today if we see all the hydrogens and oxygens and the bombs and the things that we have created, wonder if we don't see a nation, a time, looks like brass. It's divine judgment.
63 We have become so profound in our intellects. We have educated our children till we got a bunch of Rickys. And we've got ... what we got ... even our churches and things, and our boys going to seminaries, getting out here, and go down there and learn some Ph.D. and LL.D. Let me tell you something. Every time he gets one he goes farther and farther from God. God is so simple. The reason that man can't find God, he don't get simple enough.
Someone said, "Brother Branham, how do you see visions?"
64 It's not me, see.
You got to get yourself out of the picture. God made a promise. God's got to stay with that promise. But you've got to be simple enough to get out of your own way. Someone said, "This would be a great man if he had a LL.D. out of our college." If he does, he just goes another gap from God.
"Man today can send a message," I said, "to the moon. But he walks over a blade of grass where he could not explain if he has to." God's hid in simplicity, see. You can't get simple enough. A man get an education and the first thing you know he's so great he can't humble himself. And God is so great that He humbles Himself and hides Himself from these people. Jesus thanked God for it. He said, "I thank Thee, Father, creator of heavens and earth. Thou hast hid this from the wise and prudent, and will reveal it to babes such as will learn."
The way to know God is get simple. The way up is down.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
65 Which way is the north or south pole? You're standing in space, see. The way up is down. "He that humbles himself shall be exalted; he that exalts himself shall be abased," see. We must humble ourselves, not try to know too much. Just know one thing! Focus everything else out of the way, and look unto Christ. If you don't know how to write your name, that don't have one thing to do with it. Just focus your heart to Christ and his will, and watch what happens. Yes, certainly.
66 Now. Many come there and said, "There is a great serpent. People goes out there and gets healed by looking at the serpent. Maybe we'd better take the family and go over." You hear such things today. "There's a great healer coming to town and we'll all go over and get healed." Now when you think that way, you've certainly got your camera out of focus. Yes, sir. Focus it down to Jesus and Him only. Look to Him and you'll see what God's purpose is.
Now, when that Hebrew come up there and looked at that brass serpent and said, "That brass ... that serpent means sin already judged. Brass is divine judgment upon it, and God has judged my sins. And I am ... by this brass serpent representing something that's to come, sin already judged---I'm free," he was healed. That's right.
67 And today Jesus said in St. John 3:14: "As Moses lifted up the brass serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up." If you can look upon Him, not as a church man, not as a prophet, not as just a good man, not as a third person of a trinity, or something; if you can look upon Him as being Emmanuel Himself who came down and give his life and was lifted up that "Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.";
John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
68 if you can focus your camera till you see that, and know that it cost the life of God Himself...
When He made his life here He didn't have to give it up; He laid it down freely. He was God---He didn't have to die. But He did it freely, gave his own life that He might bring sons to Him, that his work might continue on. "The works that I do [John 14:12.] ... the works that I do you'll do also." If the things could to be done like that, and you can see Him and see Him only, then you'll get your camera in focus, see, to a place to where God can use you. Certainly.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
69 Now, if you just look up there and say, "I got a little crucifix hanging in my car. I got one at my home, a cross." That's all right. But that ain't what it is. That's not what He's talking about. You've got to see that God knows that you are a sinner, and that you have confessed your sins and God put your iniquity upon Him, upon Himself, and become a man. He crossed his strain and come down from being God to be man that He might die in your stead, to give Hisself for you. And you confessed your sin. And not a manufactured Clorox, but a power of God that was made blood, that He might take away your sinful blood (by sexual desire), and make you a free man and woman of God... There you are.
What you looking at? You say, "Oh, I belong to the Assemblies of God."
"I belong to the United Pentecostal."
"I belong to the Methodist."
"The Baptist."
You're still focusing yourself away. Focus yourself in on Jesus Christ. Amen. Hear the answer come back. "All thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven."
Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
70 Be persistent, like the little Syrophenician woman. No matter how many disappointments she had as she come down, she still had focused herself on that that was God. And she come to Him and got what she asked for, because she had her focus right. She had it, no matter how many puffs of wind come, and saying, "The days of miracles are passed. Your husband will leave you." That didn't bother her a bit. That bullet went straight to its point. Amen! We can focus on [blank spot of tape] one time. Then we are looking for Him to come. That's the one that's going... Oh, my. See, you've got to get the purpose. You have got to get know why the...
Mark 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
Mark 7:27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Mark 7:28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
Mark 7:29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
71 Look at the sheep-gate. There was people. God's always had a way for man to look for salvation. That brass serpent, the people had to look at it. That's right. And at the sheep-gate, they had to look at it. Them people sat there ... let's think it was a hospital. There were many sick and afflicted. There was thousands, multitudes, laid there. It was like a hospital today. Tender hands of their loved ones waited on them, just exactly like they would in a hospital today. They were waiting. Their eyes were watching that water. There was five porches where the sheep-gate was. It's just outside of Jerusalem. And there ... or the ... gate.
And then when He come in... They watched---there had to be something supernatural happening. And as soon as that supernatural happened they made a rush for it! Look at the church today! God wants us to watch for the supernatural when his Word is made manifest and vindicated! Now we run away from it because it's not connected with our organization, see.
John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
72 At the sheep-gate they watched for the supernatural moving. God's always moved through his people through supernatural, vindication of his promise. He promised He would do it. When they seen that promise begin to move in a supernatural, they jumped right into it and took it.
Today, even now, the Holy Spirit, the supernatural power of God, is in the earth moving, showing things; and people run from it instead of getting into it---the Word made flesh and vindicated---the very things that He did and promised that we would do---does the same things. And if it isn't connected with our groups we have nothing to do with it. That's right.
John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
73 Jesus went and found one person in the entire church. You say, "Does God heal all?" No, sir. And the Pentecostal brethren, let me drop this to you. You're looking for a time to come that when there's going to be men rise upon the earth, and go out in hospitals and deliver them, and the whole hospital move out. Don't you never be deceived like that. You believe me, you believe that's a lie. It never was done. When Jesus...
Let's say that was a hospital. He went in there by the leading of the Spirit. He found one man that He knowed was ready. And He spoke to that man and He told him the secret of his life. Told him there... He wasn't unable to walk. He could walk. Somebody could beat him running. He said, "When I'm coming, another steps before me," see. He wasn't blind, neither was he deaf, neither was he dumb. He wasn't crippled. He had some kind of a retarded disease. Wasn't going to kill him---he'd had it thirty-eight years. And he would try to get down there, and somebody a little better off than him would step in, and the virtue of the angel left.
John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
74 We go in today and find a man of God, led by the Spirit of God, sees a vision, goes does something like that and they say, "Why here's Jones, sits on the corner. Let me see you healers heal him."
You see that same old devil that said to Jesus with a rag wrapped around his eyes, and said, (hit Him on the head with a stick), and said (changed the stick from one hand to the other), and said, "Tell us who hit you and we'll believe you're a prophet then."
Why, before the world ever began He knowed who had that stick in their hand. He didn't clown for nobody. He did exactly what the will of God was. The church will do the same, see. The sheep-gate ... but they were watching for something. They were looking for something.
Matthew 26:68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
Luke 22:64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
75 Now if them said, "Oh well, we'll go up there and see what the rest of them does. We'll see if that looks supernatural." They never got nothing. But it's that man that had to press up, not sit at the back, but in the front---that man who waited for the altar call, that man who waited to see something supernatural.
Like this man here, Brother Williams' boy. Raised in a Pentecostal family, but yet one time standing in a meeting where his daddy felt led to send him. And there that young fellow standing there, and he seen the supernatural hand of God. Quickly he become a Christian. He was ready to accept it, for he seen the moving of the water. He knowed there was something supernatural.
76 Not join church, shake hands, and a million more in '44, a new church, a new building, a new something. It was a new life, that come by a supernatural move that they were looking for it to happen. They knowed every certain season, then come down and they waited.
Now if it isn't going on all the time and we're on top of the house jumping around, we feel, "Well, we'll leave this church. It's cooled off." What a nonsense. How we can't wait. Abraham didn't wait... He didn't think God had cooled off. He waited twenty-five years; then he seen the hand of God move.
They waited at the sheep-gate from month to month, for whatever it was, for that one supernatural moving. But they looked for it. Oh, my! They were looking for it!
77 And today we've lost that vision, Pentecost. We've lost something. Let's look to Christ!
Our denominations has spread itself till it's went way out. And now we're fighting and trying to get more and bigger churches, and higher classes, and better educated preachers, and things. And what have we got? We've got away from the very thing that God told us to look at. What are you looking at? Look and live. That's what we must do if we expect to live.
Others might have laughed at us and said, "That bunch of holy rollers down there, down there around that pool. Why, they say there's a... Why, it's nothing but the wind. The wind comes down, blows the water back." Not to them. It was an angel of mercy. It was an angel of healing. And I believe it was an angel, though it seems so simple.
But you see, God hides in simplicity.
78 I've had them to come to the meetings, say, "Brother Branham, I didn't know you was a holy roller. Because I noticed all that group screaming, and crying, and going on while you were speaking, hollering 'amen' and so forth. Why, that's nothing but emotion." It might be to you who don't believe. But to we who have tasted of the good things of God, we who know what the Holy Ghost is...
You say, "Them people speaking in tongues, and just jabbering off something, they don't... It's only intellectual, it's only some work-up." Or somebody say... It might be to you, but to that fellow it's falling on, it's different to him. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
You say, "Well now, you know, it's just the day of ... that stuff, there's ... people won't believe that." That won't stop the real move of God at all. Jesus come right in the midst of unbelief but it never stopped Him a bit. He went right on.
79 The people today, no matter how try ... much they try to say it's fanaticism, the people go right ahead believing it. They can't explain it. They don't know what it is. They know they got an idea of what it is. Like Benjamin Franklin with a kite in his hand, he said, "I got it! I got it! I got it!" He knowed he had something!
So does this man and woman who might not be able to tell you what a atoms ... how many molecules is in an atom. But they know they got the Holy Ghost. Because why? They zeroed it with the Word of God: what Peter said on the day of Pentecost---"Repent, every one of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." When that confessed sin drops into that blood, all blood's remitted ... the blood remits the sin and a man stands as a son of God. Amen!
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
80 And he's zeroed! "Ask what you will and it will be done for you."
And just somehow or another you seem to know the will of God. Some supernatural way, there's a moving something in you says, "Go over here and do that. Go down here and do that." See, there's something in you that always hits the target just exactly the way it's supposed to be. Oh, how wonderful!
We got to close 'cause it's getting too late now. Just a few minutes longer.
81 Them people might have laughed, but that didn't stop them. They waited just the same. The people might say, "Our church, our brethren, the cooling off of the message ..." and so forth. It ain't cooled off. We're watching for the moving of the water. I'm watching to see something happen. I'm here in Tucson now. Why? I don't know. The water moved me down here. I'm watching to see something happen. It's going to happen. I told you when I come here the other day something'd happen, there'd be a thunder, or a blast go off. Them seven seals come forth. Get the tapes and find out whether it's right or not, see. Oh, we wait for the moving of the water!
82 We seen something, sitting back on the cross side of that desert north of Tucson, just what I told you here before it happened. I was picking those little goat-headers off of there, and just then it went off and it shook the whole mountain. Rocks rolled down and things like that. And the Holy Spirit turned, said, "Return to your home immediately, for the seven seals is going to be opened." Get the tapes and find out. That's "thus saith the Lord." Told me before it happened and everything. Find out if it's truth or not. When I'm gone on, that still lives on.
We're at the end-time, friends. I'm looking for Jesus to come. The blessed Lord Jesus who I've loved and give my life to as a young man, I'm still looking for Him to come. I believe He will. Though like Abraham it may linger, yet I get stronger and more in love with Him, expressing myself daily to Him. I know every believer in here does the same thing.
No matter what others say, "Oh, you're a back number. You ought to come..." I don't care what they say. I still believe God. I focused in on the Word and know that truth. Nobody's ever been able to shake me from it yet. And as long as God holds my heart right straight on that Word, I'll stay there. Amen.
83 Elijah, he ... one day when he was looking for something to come to bring help to the people, he looked, and he looked, till the old man, eighty-something years old, was too tired to climb the mountain, after been fasting and praying. But God told him if they'd repent something would happen. What was he looking? He sent his servant and said, "Go up and look! Look! Something's going to happen!"
Three years and a half and no rain---not a cloud, not even dew falling. But said, "Go look!" And Elijah ... or Gehazi stood and looked and looked and looked. He didn't see nothing. He come back down. He said, "I didn't see nothing
"Go back again!" Amen. "Go back and stay till it happens!"
1 Kings 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
84 Then Elijah goes back ... I mean Gehazi. And he looks and looks and looks. And Elijah---that little bald head, sitting there in the sun, his whiskers and his beard, white beard, and them little bony looking arms across his bony knees---he said, "Lord God," as he began to pray.
Said, "Go back again now!" Amen. What was he doing? He was looking for God to take care of his promise, no matter how brassy she looked, how much judgment was upon them. My!
Someone said the other day, said, "Brother Branham, do you believe that? And you speak so much against the organizations of religions. What makes you do that?"
I said, "Nothing against the brethren in that organization, but it's the system is what I'm against."
Like the disciples going to embalm the body of Jesus. That body was nearly ready to rot. That's right. It's an awful smell. But they stayed right with it.
1 Kings 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
85 That's the same thing today. Although the church has got itself all scrupled up---it's in all kinds of conditions, it's broke off in isms and formalities and everything---but I've got to stay with it. We must stay there! We got to stay there because we love it! There's something in us compulsing us. The pulsations from our heart says, "Stay with it!", because there's going to be a resurrection one day, and God will take from that. Amen! Yes. Wonderful Lord Jesus. All right.
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
1 Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
86 We find Elijah kept looking until he seen just the size of a man's hand. Now unbelief would have caught that right quick. "If that's the best you can do," see. "If that's all you can do, well, take it back." But what was it? He was looking for the supernatural. Oh, he knowed only the hand of God could do it. And when he saw that hand, J-e-s-u-s, he had f-a-i-t-h, yes. And when he saw it, he said, "I hear the sound of abundance of rain." What was it? He accepted the first move.
87 Oh, unbeliever this morning, you who have been all scrupled up in your water baptisms and everything else. Let the Spirit of God open your eyes and show you just a little something. Then you start from there! "I hear the sound of abundance of rain." You who believe creeds instead of the Word, come back to the Word. Just see the first little move. Faith accepted it. "There's what I'm looking for."
We're looking for the coming of the Lord. We look at the Holy Ghost falling in the last days. We look at signs and wonders. We watch what's taking place, see. Don't you see? What you looking at? That's exactly what God said would take place. Let faith grab it! Say, "I want it too."
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
88 Watch Elijah. When he accepted it, you know his life must have been renewed. He outrun Ahab's chariot. He run before the chariot when he couldn't even climb the hill. He run before those swift horses! "Get the rain barrels out. I hear the sound of abundance of rain." The first little move! Glory! The first little move at the pool of Bethesda, they rushed to get to it! Amen.
Oh, if the people here ... if you haven't received the Holy Ghost this morning, if that first little tinkle would say, "That's the truth. That man's telling the Word. That's the truth!" Now hurry as quick as you can! Don't wait! What you looking at? What you waiting for? The hour's later than you think. Get moving towards it as fast as you can. Why? When Elijah saw that move it was the evidence of an answered prayer.
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
1 Kings 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
89 O God, I wish that every sick person here this morning that feels this Holy Spirit in our presence now, could realize that that's the evidence of a prayer that you prayed has been answered in the presence of God. Every man who wants the baptism of the Holy Ghost, if you'd feel that little grand feeling, saying, "I believe that's the truth..." If you'd take that, "That's the evidence of my answered prayer," raise up your hands and say, "God, I receive it now," something would take place. Depends on ... God throws the signs all around us and we still move right on, just out of the way of it. Oh, my. Elijah knowed it was an answer of prayer.
90 Jonah refused to see anything was contrary. He was down in the belly of the whale in the bottom of the sea. But he said, "That won't hide me." He said, "Once more I look towards your holy temple." What was he looking at? He actually couldn't see the temple. But he seen the promise made by the temple.
O God, if we could just only see the promise of the Word, that Christ promised, "Wherever two or three are assembled in my name, I am there in their midst! And whatever they ask they shall receive it." If we could only see it, and the first move, move right into it. Don't wait any longer. What you looking for?
God answers your prayer and places it all around you. Then you say, "Well, now, let me see, what would so-and-so say?" Oh, don't do that. Look at Christ! Look to what He said. And there, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I'm there among them. Let them ask, they shall receive." What a promise. What a divine promise.
He refused to see anything that would make him doubt.
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Jonah 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
91 If the devil says for you to say, "Now wait a minute, maybe tonight you might be a little bit better, when the revival starts." Might be fair, that might be good, but don't wait till the revival starts. Become part of the revival right now! God wants to start it in you. God wants to start it in the church. The Holy Spirit will take the messenger then and send forth the message. God will vindicate that message, great signs and wonders, see. Refuse to see anything that would make you doubt. Jonah did. And God delivered him out of the belly of the whale. Certainly. Yes, sir.
92 Job, when even all of his friends had turned him down, everything was wrong, Job kept looking towards the sky. Some of them said, "You're a secret sinner. You're looking ... Job, what are you looking up that way for? Because you've done sinned, God's done proved what He's done to you. You're a secret sinner, Job."
Job knowed he wasn't a sinner. He had met exactly every word God required. That burnt sacrifice, that burnt offering was all God asked for. God only asked for the burnt offering, and Job knowed he'd made the burnt offering sacrifice!
God only asked you to believe his Word. Amen. He don't ask all these isms and creeds and everything else. He asks for you to believe Him! "He that believeth on me." Amen and amen! "He that believeth on me, the works that I do..." Look to Him, all the ends of the world and live. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen and amen! Yes, sir. Don't wait for anything else.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
93 Look. Job stood and looked, he seen his flesh all corruption. He seen blood over him, he seen boils over him. His wife come. His church members left him, and accused him of being a secret sinner. His wife come and said, "You look miserable. Why don't you curse God and die the death?"
He said, "Thou speakest like a foolish woman. The Lord gave, the Lord taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
About that time, when he stayed with the Word, then the lightnings begin to flash, the thunders roared, and the prophet looked towards the sky, and he said, "I know my redeemer liveth. He'll stand in the last days upon this earth: Though that the skin worms doth destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see."
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
94 Watch! The first He's called redeemer, the next He's God. "I know my redeemer liveth, the last days He'll stand on the earth: Though that the skin worms destroys this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, my eyes shall behold, and not another." When he was dying, and his body rottening, and while he was in the flesh, he looked till he seen the resurrection (Hallelujah!), and knowed that he was included in it because he was keeping God's Word. Look and live, my brother. Amen! He seen what God's purpose was and he did it.
God had a cause to test Job. He's had a cause to test the people. Everything's done for a cause. He's doing the same thing now. He sends us signs and wonders amongst the people. He sends the gospel truth, and let them look over it, to some creeds---deny the real truth and take a creed. Deny this and take that, when they know the Bible teaches contrary to that. But He does it for a test. Then there's no excuse at the day of the judgment.
Oh, my!
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
95 Look what's promised in the last days. In closing now, let me say this just before we close. Look what's promised in the last days. Look what He's already done in these last days: poured out the Holy Ghost upon his people, brought back the original Pentecost again, brought back the original baptism of the Holy Ghost, brought back the original water baptism, brought back everything back to its original. Come right on down, and brought back the original evidence of Christ by showing us visions and prophecies that never fail one time. Move right on down, everything just exactly the same to show that it's beyond human mind. They could not do that; it's God.
96 Watch that great pillar of fire that led the children of Israel. Anybody, any Bible scholar, knows that that was the angel of the covenant, Jesus Christ. Hebrews said, Hebrews the 11th chapter said that Moses forsook Egypt, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater treasures than that of Egypt, see. What was it? Christ in the wilderness.
In John 16, or beg your pardon, John 6, when they was taking the communion, whatever it was, breaking the bread, having the great time there at the jubilee, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life that come from God out of heaven. He that eats my flesh has eternal life; and I'll raise him up the day of the ... the last days." He knowed He would do it. He said He was the bread of life.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Hebrews 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
97 They said, "You make yourself God. You make yourself..." Said, "Why, we know you're crazy now. [Mad means crazy.] We know you're crazy. You're a man not over fifty years old, and here you say you saw Abraham? We know you're mad. You're out of your mind. You're a religious fanatic."
He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Amen.
What was I AM? That burning light in that bush. Moses saw it. He watched it all the days of his life, and it led him right into the promised land. That same light came down and was standing there. And He said, "I AM before Abraham was. I AM that burning bush. I AM that fire. I'm that angel of light. I come from God and I go to God."
John 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
98 A few days after the resurrection Saul of Tarsus was on his road down to Damascus to persecute the Pentecostals. And when he was on his road down there, there was a great light moved down. Put his eyes out! He couldn't ... none of the rest of them could see that light, but he could. It was so vivid to him till it blinded his eyes, said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
He said, "Who are you, Lord?
He said, "I'm Jesus."
That same light that was in the burning bush, the same light had come from God and went back to God.
Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Acts 9:8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
99 And we have a picture of that same light among us today doing the same wonders and same miracles and same signs! And yet we look for something else!
The gospel truth of the vindication of the Word, this baptism of the Holy Spirit, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, these things that we teach are absolutely the truth, for are they vindicated. Amen! Whew! I feel religious, yes. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is here. 'Cause around the world He's proved it back and forth, and never failed even one time. Amen.
What are you looking at? What are you waiting for? It's time. It's time! The waters are being troubled. Move in now. The signs of the last days, "It shall be light in the evening time," you know. Yes, it shall be, Haywood said. And that's right. "The path of glory you'll surely find." Yes, in these last days you would do it.
Zechariah 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
100 Look, it depends on what you're looking at. Look what's been done---the pillar of fire, the Holy Ghost, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now let us look. Let us believe. Let us understand that we're in the last days, we're in the last hours, and we're in the last minutes of the last hour.
I got this film and I ... maybe bring it up to Brother Outlaw some time for a Wednesday night service, showing that where we took at Jerusalem---call it "Three Minutes Till Midnight." Take what science has said. The Bible said Jesus said, "When you see the fig tree and all the other trees putting forth their buds,..."---Israel returning as a nation. They are a nation. We see the other trees; the Methodists having theirs put forth, the Baptists, having theirs, the Catholics having theirs, all the rest of them having theirs, the Pentecostals through Oral Roberts, having theirs---all the rest of them having their revivals, putting forth its... "Then know that the time is at hand. This generation shall not pass until all these things be fulfilled."
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
Mark 13:30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Luke 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
101 We see Israel in her homeland with her ensign lifted up, the six-point star of David. She's got her own money, her own nation, her own army. She's got everything. She ... she's Israel! What is it? She's there, ready for the purging that God will take that 144,000 from it.
Look at the church today. It's in its chaos, all mixed up and everything. It's looking, "Have we got more than they? We got better than they have. We this, that, and the other."
Revelation 7:5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
Revelation 7:6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
Revelation 7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
Revelation 7:8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
102 And there that bride's looking to the coming of the Lord Jesus, with that secret, secret coming of Christ shall come and catch away his bride in the night.
Like a book I read of Romeo and Juliet one time, how he come with a ladder and got his bride out among them. That's what ... Jesus will come some day and looking for that. He's not looking to his creeds, but looking to Christ, waiting for Him to come, with his heart centered. They come blood relation like Isaac and Rebekah---own blood relation. That's what we have to come, blood relation to Christ through the sacrifice, when our sins are omitted by the blood of Jesus---not by what some church says, what somebody else says; but what the blood has done and proved that it's done, by the Word, working through the same thing, carrying out the same ministry He had. Amen!
103 What are you looking to, church? Oh, these last days. Oh, He's been right among his people and we've forgot it. He's sat right among us and we didn't know it. The Holy Spirit's here this morning, and maybe many'll go away and forget it. Maybe many sick will forget to believe and anchor their faith right where it should be now. The true ... truly the pool is troubled. The waters are whirling backwards from the natural, showing the supernatural. The Holy Spirit's here taking a normal bunch of people, intelligent, sitting here well-dressed, well-educated, looking. The Holy Spirit fall upon them and something whirls them around, they holler, "Glory to God! Hallelujah!" What's the matter? The troubling of the water. Amen.
104 Sinners sitting there---backsliders, prostitutes, drunkards, and everything else---are saintly, godly. You can't put a finger on their lives anywhere since they received it. What is it? The troubling of the waters. What are you looking at?
The Holy Spirit fall among us... I was sitting there a while ago with Brother Outlaw, pointing people to Him---here with diseases and things---that can be done right now, showing the different things that's happening in lives and things. What is it? It's the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. What are we waiting for? The troubling of the waters? It's already troubled. The angel will leave pretty soon, and all virtue is gone. And then there's no salvation left. You'll be left into outer darkness.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
105 Story I heard a few days ago... In closing I might say this: there's a boy who'd done a murder. He done something wrong. Well, I was called on the case the other day you know, over here in Texas. I got a little certificate from them the other day---"saving a life," it said. Went over there for that little Irish ... that man that'd taken the picture of the angel of the Lord, who... That night over there at Houston had criticized me and said everything in the world about me. Throwed his arms around me and hugged me, said, "Just think, Brother Branham, the very man that I said was hyp... that was practicing hypnosis has come to save my son from the electric chair." That's right. I talked there before them all. And what did the governor do? Pardoned it. Oh, my, when he was a-dying four or five days afterwards. Right! Why? I'm interested in life. Life!
I said, "Sir, you have no right to take the boy's life. The first blood was ever spilled was one brother spilled another's. He shed his blood. But God didn't take his life at capital punishment. He put a mark upon him that nobody would kill him. Don't rub that off." Amen, and amen! Life! We're interested in life.
Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
106 One day a mother's boy had killed a man. He was laying there ready to die. And so the little mother stood by the governor's door. And they asked in. And finally one of the guards said, "Governor, that mother of that boy's out here. Wants you ... she wants to see you."
And when they opened the door and said, "Madam, he will receive you," the poor little thing crawled on her hands and knees up to his feet.
Laid his hands ... her hands upon his feet and said, "Governor, honorable Sir," said, "you're the only man that's left that can spare my son. Please, kind sir, I know he's guilty. He's just as guilty. Your courts of justice found him guilty." And how many of us are not guilty in the courts of God? "Your courts of justice found him guilty. He actually killed and he's subject to death, I know that. But, sir, as a man you have no right to take the life of my boy. God only can give life and only God can take life. Don't do it, sir, please don't. I beg of you as a heart of a mother could beg." And so he sent her away. It broke his heart so much, the pleading of that mother, till he goes down to the jail, to the prison where the boy was sitting, back in the prison.
107 The man had built up a complex, just about like the church has done today. "You'll either preach it the way I like it, or I won't hear it at all. I won't pay no attention." He sat there. Man after man had come to him, tried to talk to him. He had built himself till he wasn't going to hear no more.
So the governor walked in. He said, "Son, I'd like to talk to you."
He said, "Shut up and get out of here," in his cell.
He said, "Son, I've come to help you."
Said, "I told you to get out of here."
That's the way people does the Holy Spirit today, yeah. "Get out. I don't want nothing to do with it." He knocks at the door. "If I do that, I have to give up my card party. I have to give up this, I have to give up that, I have to give up my church creed, I have to give...," see. You'd better listen. He's the only one's got pardon. That's right. What are you looking at? See.
108 He looked at so many things he was afraid to look at this man. He kept his head turned. That's the way people do today at the altar call. They keep their head turned. They don't want to hear it. They turn their head from God who's telling them, "That's the truth." A little wee voice like a touch... You know Elijah, he heard the rushing wind, blood, fire smoking, it didn't brother him. But when he heard that little voice he come out. Oh, that little voice that the church has failed to hear... Right.
So the man tried his best. The governor tried to talk to the boy. The boy said, "Are you going to get out of here or am I going to throw you out!"
Turned around and said, "All right, son, I've done the best I could do."
1 Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
1 Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
109 When he walked out the boy looked around kind of arrogant, as he walked down through the hall. And when he did one of the guards stepped out and said, "Governor, did you do any good?"
He said, "No, he wouldn't listen."
That boy jumped, he grabbed the bars, said, "Who was that?"
"That was the governor. Come for your pardon."
Too late then. He screamed, he cried, he said, "Think of it! The governor here in my own cell to pardon me, and I turned him down."
And when they put the rope around his neck before they put the black mask on him, after he'd walked the thirteen steps, last words he said, "Think of it! The governor stood in my cell for pardoning, and I turned him down." And they hung him.
110 Oh, there's more than a governor here this morning. Jesus Christ is here. And that little cell called man or woman, He's here to give pardon. Don't, don't turn Him away. Don't do it. Find your purpose that God brought you here in life. We're in a tremendous hour, friends. You know that.
As the old song says:
Nations are breaking
(Look what time it is.),
Israel's awakening,
The signs that the Bible foretold;
The Gentile days numbered,
With horrors encumbered;
Return, O dispersed, to your own.
The day of redemption is near,
Men's hearts are failing for fear;
Be filled with the Spirit, your
lamps trimmed and clear. (What?)
Look up! Your redemption is near.
(That's right.)
False prophets are lying,
God's truth they're denying,
That Jesus the Christ is our God;
(That's right.)
This generation
Spurns God's revelation,
But we walk where the apostles
have trod.
The day of redemption is near,
Men's hearts are failing for fear;
Be filled with the Spirit, your
lamps trimmed and clear.
Look up! Your redemption is near.
111 That's right. Look up, brother, get away from all this dogma of the world. Look up, look to Christ. Look to Jesus. As the song says: "Look and live my brother, live. Look to Jesus now and live. It's recorded in his Word, Hallelujah! It's only that we look and live." What are you looking at this morning?
Look and live, my brother, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
For it's recorded in his Word,
Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
You believe that? Let's sing it together. You know it?
Look and live, my brother, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
It's recorded in the Word,
Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
Now let's sing it together now.
... live, my brother, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
It's recorded in the Word,
Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
112 What are you looking at? To them that look for Jesus a second time He will come in glory unto salvation, to take us out of this sinful world, out of this sin and stuff we're in. Do you believe that? Look and live. The only thing you can do is look! Take the Word. As the serpent on a pole represented the living Word that would be made flesh, so does the Word today represent the presence of the Holy Spirit when we see it vindicated among us. He's in our little cell this morning. Won't you listen to Him while we bow our heads? (Continue on, brother.)
Look and live, my brother, live;
Oh, look to Jesus now and live.
It's recorded in the Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
[Humming] Look to Jesus now and live.
It's recorded in the Word, Hallelujah.
It is only that we look and live.
113 While you have your heads bowed, look to Jesus now, brother, the Word. If you've never repented, repent. If you've never been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, be baptized. You've got a promise of God that you'll receive the Holy Ghost. That's what the original church started with. And the way it started... God is infinite. He cannot change his program. That's the way it has to ever remain. The church was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost by repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and a promise to receive the Holy Ghost. "These signs shall follow them that believe..."
If that's never happened to you, friend, will you raise up your hand to God now and say, "Brother Branham, pray for me." God bless you, you, you. God bless you, good, God bless you, you, you. That's good. All right.
Look and live, my brothers, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
Now it's recorded in the Word,
Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
114 Now it's recorded here in the Word. We're in the last days. There's nothing put up about this. There's nothing bogus, no hoax. It's the Word being made manifest. It's the Word telling the truth. You've been ... you've been to the meetings, you've been in the meetings before and you know that it's the truth. Now we have a lot of impersonators, we know that. But don't look at them. There was a mixed multitude went with Moses. But remember, there were some true Israelites there that went to the promised land, see.
Exodus 12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
115 The same in this group, brother. There's real genuine Spirit-filled men and women---real, real. You can't put a finger on their life. Won't you look and live this morning? Look away from the impersonators. Look away from the ones that would be fanatics. Look away from all of that and look to the real Jesus. We're recorded in his Word, hallelujah! To those that look for Him the second time He will appear.
If you would like to come forward to the altar to stand for prayer, if you haven't received the Holy Spirit, haven't met these qualifications of the book of Acts that Peter spoke of and you would like to meet them this morning, while we sing one more verse I would like to invite you to come stand at the altar for prayer. And then we will perform the baptism, or we will pray for you to receive the Holy Ghost, while we sing:
Oh, look and live, my brothers, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
(Somebody else?)
It's recorded in the Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live!
Look and live, my brother, live;
Oh, look to Jesus now and live.
It's recorded in the Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
What's the matter with women this morning? All men? Seldom you see that. This is a hour of sincerity. All right.
Look and live, my brother, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
It's recorded in the Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
116 I just feel there should be somebody else. Come on. These four men standing here, there's more than that here. Come on. You want to live? Remember, God writes it down. They asked, "How must...? What must we do to be saved?" And it was told them. Now He cannot change that, and never was it changed down through the Bible ages.
Now we got different ideas. We change it now. Oh, my, everything. But don't ... don't look at that. Don't look what they're doing now. Look to what He said here. Look to the Bible. You look and live, brother. That's the only way you can. Sister too. Come now if you haven't received this experience and know that it's exactly the Bible with God Himself there vindicating it. Don't take no chance.
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
117 What are you looking at this morning?
What are you looking at? Did you stop in this hideous hectic day that we're living in? What are you looking for? God's placed everything. The troubling of the water, that first little move, people jumped in. The sign of the hand in the sky, Elijah said, "That cloud the size of a man's hand like a vapor." What was it? He kept believing. "I hear the sound of abundance of rain." That cloud become two clouds. Two clouds become a hill. A hill become a mountain. A mountain become another mountain. The first thing you know the whole skies were thundering. Rain was falling. What was it? He accepted what God sent.
And this morning if that little thing's touched your heart and says, "I need that," that's that little sign the size of a hand of a man. Come.
Look and live, my brothers, live;
Oh, look to Jesus now and live.
Oh, it's recorded in the Word,
Hallelujah!
It is only that we look and live.
Let's bow our heads.
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
1 Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
118 Wonder if you brethren, some of you minister brothers, you walk right down, some of you brethren, lay hands on these brethren with me down here if you will.
[There is prayer for the brethren.] All the church bowing your heads now, be in prayer. These brothers are praying now, and everybody, lay your hands upon them and pray. Here's another one.
119 Lord Jesus, upon the confession that he comes to make today, I pray God, that You'll fill him with the Holy Ghost, Lord. He's looking away now to Calvary where only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse him. Only one blood can make every leap across that chasm. That's the blood of Jesus Christ that flows within the chasm and puts him next to God. Grant it, Father. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen.
120 Everybody in prayer now, laying your hands upon a brother, these men standing here, praying with all your heart now. Now, now you've come to make your confession. God can't lie.
That's exactly the way I received it, when I come up and said, "Lord God, I'm deeply sincere. I really mean it from all my heart. This is between death and life, and I don't want to die. I want to live, and I want to go to heaven. And You promised." I'd never heard of such a thing as Pentecost, never heard such. But I said, "In the Bible here the requirement was according to this Bible, for me to repent. And that I do. And I've been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Now Lord, You've promised me the Holy Ghost. You promised to do it."
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
121 I'd never heard of anything like speaking in tongues, never read it no more than there in the Bible, and I just didn't think anything. And right there come a light across the room in a cross form, and ever what was on it was speaking in tongues. And I said, "I don't understand your voice, sir, your language. If You can't speak English, then I don't understand your language. If You'll just come back and speak again it'll be a sign that You've accepted me." And there it was again. Oh, brother, I looked and lived then. I've been living ever since, in the glorious realms of God, where the power of God is flowing freely down by the spout of his blessings.
122 Now let's raise our hands as we stand, each one of us here, and these men. Now brethren, the Holy Spirit's here. The pardoner's right here by the side of you. Let's believe with all of our heart now. Let's each one believe. Now let's raise our voices to God. God bless you.
Look and live, my brothers, live;
Look to Jesus now and live.
Oh, it's recorded in the Word,
Hallelujah!
It is only that you look and live.
Oh, look and live ... all of you sick people. Look the same way now. Look to Jesus. Look to Jesus now and live. That's it. Like the brass serpent. There was no power in the serpent, but it's what they looked at. Now the promise said, "They shall lay hands on the sick, they shall recover." I lay my hands upon him because it's representation like the brass serpent. May they look at Jesus, rather, who died. He's the propitiation of our sick folks to heal. He's the propitiation of our sin. May the power of God come upon this body and heal each one, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen.
The baby?
Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
123 In Jesus' name, in the name of the Lord Jesus. God bless you now. Believe with all your heart.
Oh, look and live, my brothers, live;
(How do you do it?)
You look to Jesus now and live.
Oh, it's recorded in the Word, ....
(Remember, brother...)
You know what's the matter with the churches today? We give up too quick. Elijah stayed there and he prayed, and he prayed, and he prayed until something happened. And when he felt that little trickle come down in his heart, he said, "I hear the sound of abundance of rain." If men and women in here who wants Christ or the Holy Ghost, who wants to be healed; if they would just stay there and say, "Lord, You promised it. You promised it," then feel that little trickle, say, "Here it is, Lord, I accept it," something's going to happen.
Oh, look and live, my brothers, live.
Look to Jesus now and......
Just raise up your hands now. Accept what you want. He's here in the cell with you. Hallelujah!
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.